


Sunning

by Selenay



Series: Friendship and More [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Episode Tag, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-11-23
Updated: 2004-11-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 04:37:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/845398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selenay/pseuds/Selenay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth needs some quiet time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunning

**Author's Note:**

> Set between 'Hide and Seek' and '38 Minutes'.

Elizabeth had discovered this small balcony a few days after their arrival in Atlantis. It was quieter than the large balcony near the control room, probably because the access was awkward and well concealed unless someone knew where it was. Its out of the way location and the late afternoon sunshine made it a perfect place to relax on rare free moments.

This was the first full afternoon that Elizabeth had felt she could take off since their arrival and she was determined to enjoy it. A couple of chairs had appeared on the balcony since her last brief visit, but it was deserted at the moment. Elizabeth shifted one of the chairs so that it would catch the sun at just the right angle and settled in for a quiet rest.

The sun was the perfect temperature to warm her bones without scorching her skin and the chair reclined just enough to be comfortable. Elizabeth had a thick book ready as a cover story in case anyone found her, a pair of sunglasses and an entire afternoon to relax and refresh in.

She had no idea how long she'd been sitting on the edge of a pleasant half-doze when the door behind her swished open. There was a quiet gasp but Elizabeth didn't respond, hoping that whoever stood there wasn't looking for her and would take the silent hint to leave.

The hint didn't work. Elizabeth tracked footsteps across the balcony and then the scrape of a chair being shifted followed by a rustle of clothing and a quiet sigh. She managed to keep her eyes shut for almost a minute before half-opening them and glancing at her uninvited guest from the corner of her eye.

Teyla.

It could have been worse. The woman knew how to be quiet, unlike other members of the team who didn't seem to know what the word meant. Teyla's eyes were closed and she wore a faint smile. Elizabeth relaxed and allowed her eyes to close again, content that her peaceful afternoon was not going to be interrupted by idle chatter or alien diplomacy.

The sound of waves on the ocean below reached the balcony faintly and lulled Elizabeth into an idle, lethargic half-doze again. Time passed quickly and she faded in and out of sleep until a sudden chill in the air made her shiver. Elizabeth opened her eyes and glanced over to where the sun dipped low on the horizon. A few clouds were drifting across it and a light breeze chased away the lingering warmth.

A couple of feet away, Teyla stirred in her chair and took a moment to stretch before opening her eyes.

"I hope that I didn't disturb you," Teyla said apologetically.

"No, no, you didn't," Elizabeth quickly denied. "I barely noticed you were here."

She inwardly winced at her tactlessness, but Teyla nodded and seemed to understand the sentiment behind them.

"I love my people, but sometimes I need to spend a few hours away from them," Teyla said. "They grow too accustomed to my presence and forget what they can do."

"They ask for opinions and decisions on every small detail," Elizabeth added.

"You understand," Teyla said with a smile.

"It's the price of leadership," Elizabeth said dryly. "Nobody seems to be able to do anything without my input even thought they'd be perfectly capable of making those decisions if I wasn't here."

"People seek reassurance that they are doing as you would wish," Teyla said. "You become different from them in their eyes."

Elizabeth nodded. "They see a role rather than a person."

"I see it in their eyes, even in old friends from childhood."

"When I took this job," Elizabeth said, "I imagined that there would be more exploration and fewer decisions about the disposal of ten thousand year old dead plants."

The breeze caught Teyla's hair and she pushed it away from her face. Elizabeth shivered and shifted slightly. The evenings were cold here when the sun went down.

"Are you cold?" Teyla asked.

Elizabeth noted the goosebumps standing up on Teyla's bare arms. "Yes."

Teyla stood and began pulling her chair into a protected corner beneath a small overhang. Elizabeth followed, keeping half an eye on the other woman. Her unconsciously graceful movements called attention and Elizabeth had always believed that beauty should not be ignored.

"Did you bring these out here?" Elizabeth asked, gesturing to the chairs.

A worried frown appeared on Teyla's face. "I did not intend to intrude on your place."

Elizabeth smiled. "You didn't. The chairs are appreciated. So is the company."

"Thank you." Teyla hesitated. "Perhaps we could continue this meeting over dinner one day. I think we may have much in common."

"I'd like that a lot," Elizabeth said, suddenly looking forward to the idea of dinner with Teyla more than she'd thought she would. "Maybe tomorrow evening?"

Teyla's face lit up with a bright smile. "I will look forward to it."

Elizabeth glanced up at the darkening sky and allowed a small sigh. "Back to the grindstone, I guess."

"Grindstone?" Teyla asked as she stepped up to the door onto the balcony and it swished open.

"It's an expression."

The entrance to the balcony was almost concealed by a pillar and Elizabeth wondered whether that was deliberate or an accident of design. It made a pleasant retreat from the demands of the city; maybe the Ancients who built the place had also needed a quiet retreat.

As she stepped into the corridor, Elizabeth felt the responsibilities of her position settle on her shoulders again. She glanced at her watched and began quietly counting.

"Is something wrong?" Teyla asked.

"I'm just wondering how long it will take somebody to find me with a new problem or something that I absolutely must see," Elizabeth said.

Teyla cocked her head. "Why?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Because there's always something."

Twenty-seven...twenty-eight...twenty-night...

"Elizabeth!"

Rodney appeared around a curve in the corridor a moment later. "Elizabeth, we've found something that you're going to love."

Elizabeth glanced at Teyla, raising an eyebrow, and the Athosian woman grinned.

"Doctor Weir?" Rodney asked, a little less certainly.

"I'm right behind you," Elizabeth said, gesturing for him to lead the way.

Elizabeth glanced back once to see Teyla disappearing in the other direction before pulling her attention firmly back to Rodney's rapid explanation of some technology he'd worked out.


End file.
